Comparison: Ford Escape vs. Nissan Rogue

The Ford Escape has been completely redesigned for 2013, with a more streamlined appearance than its boxy predecessor.

PHOTO: Kevin Mio, The Gazette

The 2013 Ford Escape has new looks, new engines and offers plenty of versatility to its owners.

PHOTO: Kevin Mio, The Gazette

The 2013 Nissan Rogues features much more chrome than the original, with a chrome grille, handles and trims.

PHOTO: Kevin Mio, The Gazette

The 2013 Nissan Rogue offers good space and a comfortable ride.

PHOTO: Kevin Mio, The Gazette

By Kevin Mio, The Gazette

Originally published: October 22, 2012

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2013 Ford Escape

Though it remained popular with consumers, there is no denying that the old Ford Escape was a tired design.

So I was glad to see the manufacturer usher in a new Escape for 2013, one that easily won me over with its design and features when I first saw it.

And while it was nice on the eyes, a week behind the wheel also convinced me that the Escape has more than just good looks going for it.

It is offered in four trims, starting with the S, SE, SEL and Titanium models, with all but the S trim available with four-wheel drive. The base price for an Escape S front-wheel drive is $21,499, while the Titanium comes in at $37,499.

We tested an SE 4WD model, which has a base price of $29,099. Options pushed the price to $34,479 before the $1,500 destination and delivery charge.

Among the more than $5,000 in additions were items like the power liftgate ($500), MyFord Touch ($700) and $1,750 for the panoramic sunroof. A $2,300 package added things like a power 10-way driver seat, leather seats, heated front mirrors, perimeter alarm and a tonneau cover.

Other than the Escape badge on the tailgate, there is no resemblance between the 2013 model and its predecessor. Where the old model was boxy, this new iteration is streamlined and quite elegant, I find.

Front and centre is a bi-level fascia with a much smaller top grille and a blacked-out lower portion that gives the Escape some attitude – especially against the Ruby Red of the tester. A rising beltline gives it a nose-down and aggressive-looking stance, and there are nice accent lines that run the lower length of the doors.

If there is one thing I am not crazy about on the Escape, it’s the plastic panels on the lower quarter of the doors and rear bumper. I understand they serve a purpose since the Escape can go off-road with a 200 millimetre ground clearance, but it just doesn’t look right to me. That is a minor quibble though.

The interior is what we have now come to expect of Ford. It is cozy and comfortable, with a fairly nice layout.

The location of the shifter could possibly interfere with the climate controls, but that is not a major issue. The centre stack in the tester was topped by the large LCD screen that is part of the MyFord Touch system, one I am finally getting the hang of, especially by using the voice commands that keep my hands on the steering wheel.

There are a lot of buttons and controls on the Escape, but once you get accustomed to what they all do, it is not as onerous as it first appears.

Performance

There are three engine choices for the Escape, all of which are paired with a six-speed automatic transmission.

The base S trim comes with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine, and there is also a 2.0L EcoBoost turbo engine on the SEL and Titanium trims – it is optional on the SE. The standard engine on the SE trim is the 1.6L EcoBoost turbo inline four-cylinder, one that develops 178 horsepower and 184 foot-pounds of torque (the 2.0L engine offers 240 hp and 270 foot-pounds of torque).

At times, I found the transmission to be a little sluggish, but it was nowhere as noticeable as has been the case with other Ford vehicles tested recently. But there is plenty of upside to the transmission and engine combination, which delivers good power and decent acceleration with almost no turbo lag.

The suspension setup and ride is what you would expect for a crossover that will spend most of its time on paved roads and not in muddy tracks. That means a very soft ride that keeps the occupants happy – and didn’t spill my coffee over some bumpy construction sites.

Fuel efficiency for the 1.6L EcoBoost is rated at 9.2 litres per 100 kilometres in the city and 6.6 L/100 km on the highway, but I came nowhere near that with a final average of 11.7 L/100 km.

Driving/utility

One of the first things I noticed when driving the Escape – especially during hard acceleration – is how quiet the passenger cabin is. It makes for pleasant rides, especially when wind noise is also kept to a minimum at highway speeds.

There is a good amount of leg room for rear passengers, making longer rides more comfortable, and maybe keeping the front seat out of reach of the child who just loves kicking the back of your seat.

Cargo space on the Escape is pretty nice, with 34.3 cubic feet available behind the rear bench. Lowering those seats increases the total usable space to a maximum of 67.8 cubic feet. And if that isn’t enough, the Escape has a towing capability of up to 2,000 pounds (907 kg) even without the trailer towing package.

Ford has done a nice job with its redesign of the Escape. It looks good, drives well and offers the versatility many consumers are seeking.

The Nissan Rogue has been on the market for a few years and is set for a new generation in the near future.

The model did undergo some tweaks recently when compared to the original version from 2008, including styling adjustments and feature upgrades.

The crossover is offered in S, SV and SL models – with the SL coming only in all-wheel drive, while the S and SV are offered in both front-wheel drive and AWD.

It has an attractive starting price of $23,778 for the S FWD model and goes up to $34,398 for the SL AWD.

I recently tested the S AWD model, which starts at $26,578 and came equipped with a $1,400 Special Edition package. That adds 16-inch alloy wheels, a power moonroof, fog lights, privacy glass, an intelligent key system, a tonneau cover and SE badging. A $135 charge for the Brilliant Silver paint job and the price tag hits $28,113 before freight charges and taxes.

Something that wasn’t offered when the Rogue was originally introduced was Bluetooth as standard equipment on all models – and kudos to Nissan for doing this, something I wish every company would do.

Other standard equipment includes Vehicle Dynamic Control, traction control and four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock braking. There’s also a full complement of air bags, including front-seat-mounted side-impact supplemental air bags and roof-mounted curtain supplemental air bags.

Design

One thing I noticed right away with the 2013 Rogue is plenty of bling in the form of chrome.

It starts up front with a chrome grille and continues on the side with chrome handles and a chrome trim that runs the length of the doors. To cap things off is a piece of chrome on top of the licence plate holder on the tailgate.

Other than that, the design hasn’t changed all that much, but that could alter with the new model due out in the near future.

On the inside, there are some changes from the first models I drove a few years ago.

The centre stack gets a new radio setup, one I much prefer to the original. The gauge cluster has also been reworked, with a new multi-function display between the tachometer and speedometer that gives the driver essential information and real-time fuel consumption.

The fabric used in the cloth seating has also been changed and it feels much nicer to the touch.

Cruise control and steering wheel mounted controls are standard on all Rogues.

Performance

There’s only one engine available on the Rogue – the only one the model has ever known.

It’s a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with 170 horsepower and 175 foot-pounds of torque, which compares well with some of the competition out there.

It is mated to an Xtronic continuously variable transmission, which hasn’t changed since my first time in the Rogue in 2008. Unfortunately, I wish I could say that was a good thing because I wasn’t a fan of the CVT then, and I am still not after testing the 2013 model.

It’s loud and whiny, with lots of noise intrusion into the passenger cabin – especially if you decide to push the Rogue a little.

Once up to speed, however, the noise does settle down to an acceptable level and the ride in the Rogue is not all that unpleasant.

One new thing is the standard sport mode switch on the Rogue, which enhances throttle response. The downside is this does increase fuel consumption.

Fuel efficiency for the Rogue is estimated at 9.6 litres per 100 kilometres in the city and 7.7 L/100 km on the highway. My testing revealed an actual figure of 12.7 L/100 km in mostly city driving.

Driving/Utility

Once you get past the noise from the engine and transmission, the Rogue’s ride is what you would expect from a crossover.

It’s not like riding in a luxurious model, but it is far from harsh. By design, the ride is very car-like, with a suspension made up of independent struts upfront and an independent multi-link suspension in the rear.

There is ample room for five passengers, with access to the rear bench fairly easy as the Rogue is not that high off the ground.

The Rogue’s storage capacity is 28.9 cubic feet with the back seats in use, increasing to 57.9 cubic feet with the 60/40 seats folded flat.